


Matters

by SaintAstra



Category: Red vs. Blue
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-12
Updated: 2013-12-13
Packaged: 2018-01-01 07:45:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,135
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1042202
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SaintAstra/pseuds/SaintAstra
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's hot (nothing new), Caboose is annoying (not new), Church gets angry (also not new), and Church pushes it too far and has to make amends (shocker), Church realizes how much Caboose means to him (well that's new).</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Matters

**Author's Note:**

> Took me long enough to finish, oops. But at least I finished it? Enjoy my rather meager contribution to the ship and tag. I hope it's not too OOC or anything. I just have a lot of feelings about these two morons and I want them to be together and fucking happy. Also, this probably takes place like...wherever your head fits it. En-beta'd.
> 
> Prompt: (Anonymous): caboose annoys church to the point where church snaps at him. Caboose runs off and hides away until church is finally prompted to find him and apologize. Some kisses and confessions?

It's fucking hot.

Not the normal heat, either, where it's like a scorched hellfire, no. This is “screw frying an egg if I put an egg on any surface including my body it will scream and disintegrate into ash” kind of heat.

Church, however, upon seeing that the Reds were still being forced to do their usual patrols and work, had decided that the Blues would have to do the same.

Tucker had bitched and Caboose wasn't even all that thrilled, but spending time with his teammates was always fun, so he'd gone along with Church and Tucker had been forced to go to.

Five feet off base and the urge to kill himself (because hell had to be cooler than this) had hit pretty strongly. 

In retrospect, Church was a massive idiot.

But he was a stubborn idiot.

So, despite Tucker's constant bitching and Caboose's excited rambling, they pressed on.

“Church, do you think if shiny heat was real water we could go swimming?”

“Church, we should polish our armor more, we could blind the Reds!”

“Church, could we bake cupcakes?” 

“We could decorate them and make them blue! Cuz we're the Blue Team!”

“Church, that rock looks funny.”

“Church, I'm going to kill Caboose.” 

Okay that last one was Tucker.

Church opens his mouth to give him the green light for friendly fire but Caboose interrupts immediately. 

“Church, I found a flower!”

“Caboose, _I don't fucking care_! I don't care about whatever it is, I just don't care! I hate this heat, I hate this planet, _and_ _I hate you_! So could you please, shut the _fuck_ up, and leave me alone?!” Church snaps, his patience finally gone. 

He can't see Caboose's expression but he imagines it's not a smile.

“Fine.” the rookie chokes out, walking away, in the direction of base.

Church jerks, frozen for a moment at the lack of hysteria, the defeat instead of a blow-up. He squashes the jittery surprise and bubbling worry, defaulting to his usual frustrated anger. He counts to ten in his head, which works for fuck all so he does it again, but the fucking heat is making him so volatile he just gives up. 

“Come on Tucker.” he finally says.

They continue their patrol without conversation, which is somehow just as annoying as Caboose's constant chatter. The air is rippling and it even sounds hot, the only unnatural noises the crunch of their boots and the creak of their armor. 

It's a long fucking patrol.

 

* * *

 

“Don't you think that was a bit harsh?” Tucker asks suddenly. They're finally on their way back.

Church is so absorbed in thinking of swimming in glacial water he doesn't register the comment for a moment, and then it takes another moment to realize Tucker was talking about something that happened hours ago.

“ _What_?”

He can feel Tucker's eye roll. 

“Caboose, man. You know he fucking worships you. It wouldn't kill you to be nicer to him sometimes.”

Church feels his face flush and it's from something other than the temperature. “Since when the fuck do you care how nice I am to Caboose?” he snarls defensively.

“Since you're being more of a dick than usual.” is the immediate retort. “Caboose can handle a lot from us but there's only so many times you can kick a dog before it stops coming back.”

Church stares at him in blank shock. “Who are you and what the fuck have you done with Tucker?” 

“Shut the fuck up, Church.” he replies calmly, jogging ahead to get inside first.

Church blinks. He hadn't even realized they'd reached base.

Muttering curses to himself, he follows Tucker inside and sighs in relief at the rush of cooler air. Their temperature control is going berserk trying to combat the insane heat (Church often wishes he'd been stationed on the surface of some sun. He's pretty confident it would be less hot.)

He walks to his sleeping quarters carefully, unnerved by the quiet. Tucker has disappeared, probably to the showers or his room. 

He hasn't seen or heard Caboose since entering the base.

Church feels the guilt twisting in his gut and he wants to throw up. 

“God fucking damn it.” he hisses to himself, tossing his helmet on the floor. He changes out of his armor, frustration building. He ruffles his hair and goes to the sink, soaking a washcloth to wipe the sweat off his face and body and cool him down. 

The sickly regret worsens and he takes a deep, shuddering breath to quell it.

He's going to have to apologize.

“God fucking damn it.” he repeats, more of a resigned whine this time, and he steps out into the hall to Caboose's room. He's not sure if he is glad for their close proximity for forcing him not to chicken out or annoyed.

The door is predictably still shut, and he raps on it firmly.

No response.

“Caboose?” he sighs, knocking again. 

“Caboose, _please_ open the door.”

He pauses to hear if there's a response, and sure enough, he can hear movement. The door slides open. Caboose is in boxers and a regulation blue hoodie with his arms wrapped around himself, frowning, which automatically makes Church mirror the expression in dismay. His eyes are rimmed with red but it looks like he'd stopped crying a while ago. His hair is mussed up and Church realizes he'd probably been sleeping. 

“Sorry if I woke you.” he says, “Can I come in?”

Caboose steps out of the doorway to let him enter but says nothing. That slick feeling of guilt coils in his stomach again. He walks in, nervously running his hand through his hair. The door shuts and he turns around. Caboose is leaning against the wall next to the door, arms crossed over his chest protectively and sporting the same grim frown. 

“Caboose, man, I just...Fuck, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have yelled at you like that. It was way too fucking hot and you were getting on my nerves, but I didn't mean to hurt you.”

“But you did.” is the quiet, broken reply.

Church's heart cracks. “I know, and I'm so sorry.” He clenches his hands into fists to keep them from trembling, from reaching out. “I'm really sorry Caboose.” he says, voice thick and low. 

Caboose rubs at his eyes, fresh tears forming. 

Church anxiously steps closer, not wanting to pressure him but the urge to comfort too strong. 

“Are we friends?” Caboose asks, voice on the verge of breaking.

“Yeah.” he says softly. “Caboose, we're best friends.”

“Then why do you say mean things to me?”

Church cringes in shame. “Because I'm an asshole.” he admits. “But Caboose, I don't...I don't mean it.”

That doesn't seem to comfort Caboose at all, tears sliding down his face. He brings his hand up to wipe them off, but Church gently grasps it, using his other hand to brush them away. “Please don't cry, Caboose.” he's trying so very, very hard not to beg. This day is fucking terrible, he decides, they're losing their god damn minds to this sweltering, godforsaken weather, and the crushing weight on his chest won't fucking go away and for once in Church's life he wants to be the salve to someone's wounds instead of the knife. 

Caboose shakes his head, but doesn't flinch away, and Church tentatively lets go of his wrist so he can slide the side of Caboose's face into his hands, cradling it. He gently knocks their foreheads together, and Caboose shakily wraps his arms around Church's waist.

“Caboose, I'll make you a deal, okay?” Church's voice is low and needy. 

Caboose nods, not trusting his own voice. 

“When we're outside, with Tucker or fighting the Reds, if I snap at you, it's just me talking, okay? I don't mean it. Don't even listen to it. If I say something that really hurts you, let me know when we're alone. When we're alone together, just you and me, like this...that's when it counts. So when I say I care about you here, it's real. When I say I hate you out there, it's not real. Alright?”

Caboose sniffles. “So whatever you say when you're with me, alone, it's the truth? And out there, it's just words?”

Church nods. “Yeah. I promise.”

“And it goes for me too?”

“If you want.”

“Okay.” Caboose says, his voice clearer, more like his usual self. It makes Church smile in relief. 

Caboose tilts his head slightly and slides his mouth against Church's, hot and wet and sweet and Church can't even respond before Caboose is pulling away.

“I meant that.” Caboose says quietly, expression serious.

Church gapes at him, before a tiny voice in his head screeches _“you fucking idiot KISS HIM”_ and he gathers his wits long enough to lurch forward and press his lips to Caboose's, shifting his grip from Caboose's jaw to the nape of his neck, pulling his head back to give him better access to his mouth. 

Caboose grabs at Church's shoulder's tightly, opening his mouth and moaning when Church's tongue slides in, arching his spine to press against him. Church _whimpers_ when Caboose bites his lip and his hands start roaming, along his back and across his chest, nails scraping his skin.

Church licks at his mouth and grabs his hips, jerking them close together. Caboose hisses in pleasure and pulls back, breathing heavily. Before Church can miss the contact, Caboose's lips are on his neck, sucking and licking his pulse point. He shivers and Caboose moves to his ear, nibbling and sucking his earlobe and lightly blowing, the wet and cold sensations making Church go weak at the knees.

“Holy fuck, Caboose.” he breathes, desperately clutching at the rookie to keep himself upright while he ignores the part of his brain wondering where the fuck Caboose learned to do that (“green isn't good on you, man” his inner voice sneers and he ignores that too). He pulls at Caboose's hair, tilting his head back so he can slide their mouths together again. It's a searing heat, not unlike the weather, but this feeling melts over him and it feels like a fire in his body, it makes him feel alive, not weighed down and miserable. Elated instead of angry. 

He pulls away, panting, and rests his forehead against Caboose's.

“Hey buddy.” he whispers, smiling and giddy like he's some lovesick teenager. 

“Hey Church.” is the heart-melting, sincere and cheerful reply. 

Church laughs a little. Fuck, he's so gone with this idiot. He untangled his arms so he can cradle Caboose's face, admiring the expression of joy on his face and his sparkling eyes. Caboose leans forward and nuzzles Church like a cat craving affection. Church wraps his arms around him for another tight hug, which is returned, though Caboose is a hell of a lot stronger than Church and it knocks the air out of his lungs a little bit, but he finds he doesn't mind too much. 

“Church?” 

“Yeah Caboose?”

“Can we sleep now?” 

Church tilts his head back and glances at the clock on the wall. It's past their usual sleeping time, and today had been exhausting and overwhelmingly trying. He unwinds himself from his friend, stretching out like a cat. 

“Yeah, we can go to sleep.” 

“Yay!” is the delighted chirp. He even bounces up and down excitedly. “Church?”

“Yeah Caboose?” 

The team-killer stills suddenly, and looks at him with puppy-dog eyes, pleading and hopeful. Refusing whatever he's about to ask would be akin to setting fire to a house of adorable, fluffy bunnies. 

“Could you...sleep with me? There's enough room. Please?”

Church pretends to think it over, letting out a long-suffering sigh. 

Caboose steps forward, pressing his lips to Church's in a warm, sweet kiss. He breaks away. “Pretty please?”

Church laughs again and swings an arm around Caboose's back, leading him over to the bed. “Yeah, okay.”

“Yay! Thanks Church, you really are my best friend ever!”

Church ruffles his hair affectionately as he lays down on his back, hogging up most of the pillows and the space. Caboose doesn't seem to mind, curling up around him and using his leader's shoulder as a pillow instead. Church puts his arm around Caboose and tugs the lightest blanket over them, hoping the temperature control will keep things cool enough.

“Night Church.” Caboose says sleepily, eyes already drifting shut as he clutches at Church's chest. 

“Night Caboose.” Church murmurs back, kissing the top of his forehead.

Caboose hums happily and Church leans back against the pillows. For the first time since he arrived in Blood Gulch, he falls asleep smiling. 


	2. Green's Not Your Color

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Church wonders how Caboose learned that trick, and he's more than a little jealous.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Requested by Buttskun on Tumblr :) It's a bit short but hopefully it's still good~

“Hey, Caboose?”

“Yeah Church?”

“Can we sleep in my room tonight?” 

He gets a curious and questioning look as his reply. He sighs and slides his arm around Caboose, pulling him close. 

“It's not that I don't love your room.” he says with just enough sarcasm to fly over the rookie's head. “But I miss my own. Maybe we could switch it up? You know, spend some nights in mine and some in yours?”

Caboose smiles brightly. “That sounds like fun! It'll be like a sleepover!”

Church grins a little and leads him out of Caboose's quarters and into his own. “Yeah, exactly.”

They spend a while lazily getting ready for bed, and naturally Caboose takes quite a while. Church is done and sitting on the bed before Caboose even has his shirt off – not that he's complaining. Church passes the time eying Caboose's muscles appreciatively when he changes his clothes. The Moon-native is like some sort of Greek demigod, straight out of a myth with his chiseled muscles and lean body. Church can't even find it in himself to be jealous, especially not when he gets to touch.

Church really likes to touch. 

Caboose picks up on the ogling and climbs into Church's lap. He kisses him sweetly and Church runs his fingers along Caboose's sides and his spine, making him arch at the tingling sensation. He retaliates by latching onto Church's ear, gripping his neck to force a better angle. Church lets out a breathy moan that turns into a pleasured gasp when Caboose blows lightly. Caboose smiles as he continues his trick, knowing it drives Church out of his mind. 

Church remembers their first night like this, only a few days ago, and a thought pops back into his head.

“Where the fuck did you learn that?” he asks, his breath hitching. 

Caboose hums right next to Church's ear and he shivers, brain almost fritzing out.

“A guy I knew. He was my friend, like you.”

Church wraps his arms tightly around his teammate possessively. 

Caboose doesn't make the connection, just snuggles into the touch. “And one day he kissed me, and I'd never kissed a guy before, I only ever kissed somebody once, and that was this mean girl from fourth grade.”

Church nuzzles him.

“But yeah he kissed me and I told him I'd never kissed a guy before. And he said it was okay he'd show me how. And he did. He showed me lots of things.”

Church's mind goes straight to the gutter and it fucking pisses him off. Caboose is fucking his, his ridiculous lunatic, and the thought of somebody else touching what's his makes his skin crawl in the absolute worst way.

He realizes he should say something, and growls out, “Was he nice to you?”

Caboose hums again, playing idly with Church's hair and admiring its fluffy disarray. “Mhmm. He was always super-nice to me and he always asked me if I was okay and how I liked things and if I didn't like things.”

God bless his innocence and obliviousness to Church's seething, resisting-the-urge-to-hurl jealousy. “What happened?”

Caboose sighs and rests his face against Church's hair, cradling his head to his own muscular chest. It's like a Geek God's Chest PillowTM 

“We stopped. He said he really liked me but he didn't think he was right for me. And I liked him...but it didn't feel right. It didn't feel like this.”

Church chokes on his rage, the burning hatred towards a stranger abruptly quashed by overwhelming affection and surprise. 

“ _This_ makes me feel all fuzzy and happy. Like when you're playing with puppies or eating cookies, but a million times better. When I'm with you it always feels the best.”

Church is trying really, really, really hard not to cry like some fucking sissy gay ass robot, so he keeps hide his face into Caboose's chest and clutching at him in a desperate hug. 

“Church?” Caboose's voice is quieter, less melodic and thoughtful. More nervous. “Church, do you feel the best when you're with me?”

Aw, fucking hell, how the fuck is he supposed to not cry at that? It's not fair. 

He resigns himself to the tears that are dripping, hot and salty onto the regulation blue shirt, and pulls back so he can look at him better. Caboose sinks lower, sitting properly in his lap now, a small, worried frown on his face. 

“Caboose, you make me feel the fucking best. All the time.”

Caboose is torn, elated at the sentiment but perturbed by Church's tears. “Then why are you crying? Church, if I make you happy why are you crying?” he sounds so fucking concerned it makes Church laugh a little, because it means he cares and also Church is a bit of an asshole. 

“Sometimes people cry because they're really happy. And you make me really fucking happy, Caboose.” 

Caboose leans forward and kisses him, but it's more of a press of their lips as Caboose is smiling far too much for it to be proper. Church is smiling too. 

“What do you say we go to sleep, okay?”

Caboose gently wipes away Church's tears, kisses the corner of his mouth, and then climbs off his lap to slide into bed. “Okay.”

Church gets up to turn off the lights before following suit. They settle in comfortably, Church resting on his back with Caboose on his side, their legs intertwined and Church's arm possessively around Caboose. 

The Blue Team leader's eyes drift shut, the white noise of the base reassuring and the warmth of his rookie comforting him into sleep.

“Church, could you tell me a bedtime story?”

He groans a little, but tugs Caboose closer anyways, tilting his head to give him a firm kiss on the lips. He shifts slightly so he can keep their faces close together while he talks. 

“Did I ever tell you about the first time Tucker showed up to base?”

Caboose shakes his head, smiling at the warmth of Church's breath on his skin. “Noooooo.”

Church grins. “Well, it all started when the Red Base got their new guy...”


End file.
